INDIAN INSTITUTES OF TECHNOLOGY – HISTORY

India in the late 1940s, having just won independence through a non-violent and grass roots movement, was building a democratic nation that would provide all its citizens with equal opportunities.

In 1946, a committee was established to explore setting up technical institutes of higher education for post-war industrial development of India and based on recommendation of the Sarkar Committee, the first Indian Institute of Technology was born in May 1950 in Kharagpur, West Bengal at the site of Hijli Detention camp. Four other campuses were subsequently founded at Bombay (1958), Madras (1959), Kanpur (1960) and Delhi (1961). In 1995, a sixth campus at Guwahati was added and most recently in 2001, a seventh campus was established by upgrading Roorkee University, one of India’s oldest engineering institutions, into an IIT.

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) has become a watchword for technological and business excellence. Its fame has spread far and wide, and today IIT Alumni are in leadership positions around the world. The phenomenal success of IITs has not only enhanced the reputation of our alma mater, but also of India, whose technological potential we have served to highlight.

HERE IS WHAT THE BEST TALK ABOUT IIT

IITians have been recognized by the leaders from all walks of life. Here are some of the notable recognitions.

IIT may be the most important university you have never heard of. Put Harvard, MIT and Princeton together and you begin to get an idea of the status of this university in India.

Graduates of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) in the United States have made valuable and significant contributions to society in every profession and discipline. IIT graduates are highly committed and dedicated to research, innovation, and promotion of trade and international cooperation between India and the United States. The House of Representatives honors the economic innovation attributable to graduates of the Indian Institutes of Technology.House Resolution 227: House of Representatives, US, April 26, 2005.

'(IITs have) played in the growth of India and the United States. Have immense respect for the academic and humanitarian work carried out by the IIT alumni.' - President Bill Clinton

'The IIT culture has contributed much to the corporate and modern sector. IITians have ushered in a culture of getting things done'. - Dr. Amartya Sen

'Have been extremely impressed.. one of the leading universities in the world in the field of technology'. - Joe Biden, Vice President, USA

'IITs are world class institutes, and the impact of IIT has been worldwide.The computer industry has benefited greatly from the tradition of the IITs' - Bill Gates, Founder Microsoft

'IIT is a world treasure' - Jeff Bezos of Amazon.

'Declared May as IIT Graduate Month' - Mark Warner, Governor of Virginia and Robert Ehrlich Jr, Governor of Maryland